Simultaneous Bilateral Phacoemulsification and Intraocular Lens Implantation

Purpose: To assess the visual outcomes, benefits, and drawbacks of simultaneous same-day phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in patients having bilateral cataracts. Material and. Method: The medical records of 346 patients (692 eyes) with bilateral cataracts who have undergone simultaneous bilateral cataract extraction (SBCE) with phacoemulsification and IOL implantation performed by a single surgeon (LA), were reviewed retrospectively. Outcome measures were intraoperative and postoperative complications, best-corrected postoperative visual acuity (BCVA), refractive errors, and patient satisfaction. Results: BCVA increased in 633 (91.5%) eyes, decreased in 12 (1.73%) eyes, and remained the same in 47 (6.8%) eyes. The incidence of intraoperative complications was 7.2% (n=50). These complications included posterior capsule rupture with vitreous loss in 20 eyes (2.8%) and without vitreous loss in 17 eyes (2.4%), zonular dehiscence in 9 eyes (1.3%), IOL haptic fracture in 2 eyes (0.28%), iridodialysis in 1 eye (0.14%), and nuclear drop in 1 eye (0.14%). Late postoperative complications occurred in 31 eyes (4.5%). Discussion: With a careful preoperative evaluation performed by an experienced surgeon under strict surgical protocol, simultaneous bilateral phacoemulsification and IOL implantation may be a beneficial procedure surgical success rate.